Chatham-Kent officials is urging the province to move quickly to stop the flow of gas in Wheatley.
An explosion rocked the town Thursday evening, an hour and a half after fire fighters responded to a gas detection alarm at the former Pogue restaurant and began evacuating the area.
Fire Chief Chris Case says there is still toxic gas coming from the rubble and the risk of another explosion remains.
“I have no idea how we can get in and stabilize the situation whilst this unknown risk is emanating from the ground,” Case says. “I’m quite angry that our fire fighters continually return to save lives on three occasions whilst we still have this unknown risk and we’re still seeking someone to assist us in protecting not only our fire fighters and our first responders, but our community.”
Two buildings at the intersection of Erie Street North and Talbot Trail were destroyed, four or five others are considered structurally unsound.
Municipal CAO Don Shropshire says the municipality has been handling the emergency response, but anything to do with the gas leak itself is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
“We’re asking them to take control of the situation and to lead the investigation to determine what the source of the gas is, what, if anything, can be done to avoid another event from occurring,” Shropshire explains. “We do not have either the legislative authority to ask property owners to do the investigation, or do we have the mandate, that rests with the province.”
20 people were injured in the blast, 13 of whom were treated by paramedics at the scene and released. Three were taken to hospital with severe but non-life threatening injuries, four others were taken to hospital with mild-to-moderate injuries.
Shropshire says the injured include three municipal staff, although no other specifics have been released.
Municipal officials will be speaking with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry this afternoon to stress the urgency of the situation.
